Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 December 2025
Letter from the Chair to the Leader of the House of Commons relating to changes to the process for allocating estimates day debates, dated 12 December 2025
From: Procedure Committee
Summary
Chair of the Procedure Committee writes to the Leader of the House proposing that a seven-year pilot scheme for allocating estimates day debates be made permanent. The pilot transferred responsibility from the Liaison Committee to the Backbench Business Committee, successfully linking debates to departmental spending and increasing participation. The letter requests government bring forward Standing Order amendments to formalise these arrangements.
Key findings
- The pilot scheme, running since 2018, has successfully ensured estimates day debates relate more closely to departmental spending and encouraged backbench participation
- Procedural complexities have arisen from the informal nature of pilot arrangements, justifying a move to permanent footing
- Committee proposes three Standing Order amendments: removing responsibility from Liaison Committee (SO 145), granting it to Backbench Business Committee (SO 152J), and updating consideration of estimates procedures (SO 54)
- Original 2017 objective was for Parliament to demonstrate it undertakes constitutional function of controlling government supply and critically examining expenditure requests
- Draft Motion attached specifying exact amendments and including provision that estimates days allocated by Backbench Business Committee shall not count against other business allocation days
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Cat Smith MP, Sir Alan Campbell MP, Backbench Business Committee, Liaison Committee, Procedure Committee, Dame Meg Hillier MP, Bob Blackman MP
Notable line
“… the pilot has been successful in ensuring estimates day debates more closely relate to Departmental spending and in encouraging participation in debates …”
Key Quotes
“… for the House to demonstrate to the public that it is undertaking its constitutional function of controlling supply to the Government, and is examining critically the Government's requests for expenditure”
“… the pilot has been successful in ensuring estimates day debates more closely relate to Departmental spending and in encouraging participation in debates, but that procedural complexities have arisen as a result of the informal nature of the pilot arrangements”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗